


Just Some Tired Old Men Having A Merry Christmas

by larvawaffle



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Blissember 2020, Christmas, Christmas Fluff, Domestic Fluff, Established Relationship, Fluff, M/M, OotP, Order of the Phoenix (Harry Potter)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-02
Updated: 2020-12-03
Packaged: 2021-03-09 21:55:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,985
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27833389
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/larvawaffle/pseuds/larvawaffle
Summary: Just some quick festive ficlets I've written inspired by the #Blissember2020 prompt list by @kidovna and @wolfstars_ on Instagram. I probably won't do all 16 but definitely a couple! So here's my contribution: a few established Wolfstar Christmas ficlets set during the winter of OOTP. Canon compliant to a point where I'm not really going to look anything up timeline wise. Unbeta-d because that's just how I am. Happy Holidays!
Relationships: Sirius Black/Remus Lupin
Comments: 3
Kudos: 19
Collections: Blissember 2020





	1. Hot Chocolate

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The first prompt intended for December 1st was: "Hot Chocolate."

It was the dead of night, probably some time after three, when Remus finally made it back to Grimmauld and started undoing the safety wards to let himself in. It had been a rough mission; the pack he’d gone to commune with had been less than welcoming, and then the storm had hit and Remus had had to beg them just to let him seek cover from the elements. It was always stressful being around their kind, his kind, especially ones who lived so differently to Remus himself, a whole new set of primitive social rules and hierarchies to learn on the fly. It was a reminder, a painful one, that given the chance, Remus’s human side could slip away just as easily as the snowflakes melting on his eyelashes. 

The wards down and the door finally open, Remus let out an exhale he hadn’t realized he’d been holding in. Someone had decorated, Molly probably, perhaps with begrudging assistance from a moody Sirius, and boy would Remus have paid to see that. There were garlands everywhere, real pine by the smell of it, with big red bows, there was tinsel wrapped around the stair bannisters, and mistletoe hung sneakily over just about every doorway. Remus smiled to himself imagining Sirius cheekily taking that job for himself, imagined Molly’s knowing smirk. 

Remus’s nose had started running immediately, and he considered making tea before heading up to bed, but his tired muscles couldn’t fathom that many staircases, so he decided against it and headed up.

He expected Sirius to be in bed, late as it was, but as he passed the third floor he saw a light on in Mrs. Black’s old room and Remus ducked in.

Padfoot was curled up, tucked under Buckbeak’s large white wing, both animals fast asleep. Pads was twitching in his sleep, as animals are wont to do, dreaming about running free in the forrest Remus was sure. It seemed almost a shame to wake him, but he could not help bending down on sore legs to scratch fondly behind the matted black ears. 

Padfoot’s head immediately perked up, startled at first and then joyful, tail pounding against Buckbeak’s thick hide. 

“Hi Pads. Missed you. Heading up to bed, come if you’d like,” Remus said, and then Padfoot was clambering up his body in that way large breeds do, trying to lick his face. 

“Sirius, stop it, Merlin, your dog breath, have you been eating mice again?” Remus laughed and shoved the dog off of him, and in a second there was no longer any dog but a man stood in its place. 

“I have not, and I take offense to that! Only the finest kibble for this pooch!” Sirius said, and then he was thrusting his human form into Remus’s arms. 

It was always like this, when Remus returned. They usually didn’t say much, too downtrodden for long romantic declarations of love, to tired to dwell on how they’d missed each other. They’d hurl jokes at each other like they hadn’t missed a beat, the only tell that they’d lost any time at all the in the way Sirius would embrace him, holding on a little too long and a little too tight, and the way Remus would turn his head and breath in deeply the scent of Sirius’s hair that he’d missed for so many nights away. 

“You’re absolutely freezing, Moony! How cold out is it?” Sirius said, leaning back to touch Remus’s icy cheek with the palm of his warm hand. 

“I’m fine, let’s go to bed.” 

Sirius would not let himself be pulled up however, and Remus turned back.

“You head on up, I’ll make you some tea,” Sirius said.

Remus considered arguing, his entire body only craving sleep now, not tea, but there was no arguing Sirius when he’d decided to fret over something. 

“Alright.”

Remus, in clean, warm pajamas in Sirius’s large, fluffy bed, had just nodded off when the door creaked open again. 

“Re, you asleep?”

“Mmmhmm,” Remus grumbled. The bed dipped next to him and then something warm, almost too hot, was being pressed against his still cold cheek. 

“Sit up. Don’t want you coming down with a flu, then you’ll be stuck here with me.” 

Remus smiled to himself. It wouldn’t be the worst thing. But then the hot thing was touching his face again and Remus carefully swatted it away before cracking open his eyes. 

“It’s coco. Thought it would be.. I don’t know. Festive.” 

Remus grinned and sat up fully, accepting the steaming mug of hot coco and breathing in deep the intoxicatingly sweet smell. As Sirius cuddled into his side, messy head resting on Remus’s shoulder, his arms wrapped around himself clad in one of Remus’s jumpers that was just this side of too big for him, tears pricked at the edges of Remus’s eyes. He blinked them away quickly, pressing a small kiss to the top of Sirius’s sleepy head.

The wind and snow pounded against the bedroom window, the long velvet curtains moving slightly against the drafty, shaking panes. The pack that Remus had been staying with for the past week were likely all huddled around a fire, pelts draped over their shoulders against the cold creeping into the dark caves where they lived. And yet here Remus was, warm, tucked in to bed with fluffy pillows and cozy wool socks and a warm mug of hot chocolate, with the man he loved pressed solidly against him.

How lucky he was, how utterly human he was. In the morning, Sirius would chide him for leaving the dirty mug on the bed side table, would shove his perpetually cold feet under Remus’s thighs with a cruel giggle, would perhaps welcome Remus home in a completely different and much dirtier way, and then they’d start their day, doing their little chores around the house, doing their little human things. How ironic, that a man who was in himself only half human, a thoughtful, stubborn, hot chocolate bearing man, was the only thing in the world to ever make Remus feel truly human.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! Find me on tumblr/insta at @larvawaffle.


	2. Pets

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I wrote another Blissember 2020 ficlet for the prompt list by @kidovna and @wolfstars_ on Instagram! The prompt for December 3rd was: Pets. Trying my hand at a bit of humor for this one. Apologies for the bad jokes, but in my defense, this is Sirius Black we're talking about. Hope everyone is having a safe and festive season!

Remus had a poor sleep schedule that was for sure and certain, but not as poor as Sirius’s these days—unlike the old days when Sirius could sleep through a world war if Remus didn’t shake him awake every morning—which was why Remus wasn’t wholly concerned when he rolled over to find Sirius’s side of the bed rumpled but cold. 

Judging by the pull of the sliver moon through the crack in the curtains, Remus figured it must be around three o’clock. Sirius had been having nightmares again. Remus thought he’d return the favor of the hot chocolate from a few days ago and got out of bed, knees and back creaking, and put on his housecoat. He knew where Sirius would likely be, so after padding down to the kitchen and back up to Buckbeak’s née Sirius’s mother’s room with two steaming mugs, he edged closer to the door jamb and pushed it open just a hair with his hip. 

“That’s a good point, Crooks. I could employ Harry to go to the shops for me I suppose,” Sirius said, motioning to Hermione’s hairball of a ginger cat who was perched, almost human-like, on the dusty rug. Sirius hadn’t noticed Remus and was continuing to pace the room, hands running through his dirty hair, in front of a perhaps less than captive audience of Crookshanks and Buckbeak. 

“Beaky, I’ve yet to hear any ideas from you,” Sirius continued, and Remus smiled to himself. 

Buckbeak made what Remus could only describe as an indignant caw and continued ripping apart a rat on the satin sheets no one had bothered to strip from Mrs. Black’s king sized bed, now Buckbeak’s nest. 

“No I do _not_ think Moony would like a rat for Christmas, Beaks, but thank you for your invaluable input.” 

Remus sipped his coco and watched. He was never sure how much Sirius could actually understand animals or if he just liked to pretend to, but it didn’t matter much, especially with Remus out on missions for Dumbledore more and more these days, he was glad that Sirius had someone to talk to. 

“Crooks? Anything? You know I’m absolute pants at gifts.”

Remus huffed a small laugh to himself; it was true, Sirius _was_ pants at gift giving, would always opt for the most exorbitantly expensive thing over more thoughtful gifts even at school; Remus suspected Sirius had been used to seeing people try to buy affection and picked up the habit.

Crookshanks mewed loudly and Sirius’s laughed bellowed in the dimly lit bedroom. 

“Crooks, you dirty bird! And of course I was already planning on doing _that_ , but I can’t exactly wrap it and pop it under the tree now can I? _…Can I?_ ” 

Remus laughed as well, and Sirius whipped around, hair and eyes wild. “Just how long have you been there spying?”

Remus smiled fondly and pushed the door the rest of the way open. “Long enough. Brought you some coco.” Remus held one mug out to him. 

Sirius was still scowling but took the mug and breathed in the sweet steam. 

“Any good ideas?” Remus teased and sidled closer to Sirius. 

“As a matter of fact, no. Loads of help these two are,” Sirius huffed. 

For a fleeting second Sirius looked less like the ravaged, escaped convict and more like the boy Remus had met so many years ago, running down the train corridor, frustrated and windswept as he and James searched for an empty compartment before stopping in front of the one Remus sat in alone. 

With his free hand, Remus tucked one long greying tendril behind Sirius’s ear, letting his fingers linger a beat on his cheek. 

“You don’t have to get me anything, Pads. I realize there are extraneous circumstances. I won’t be offended.” 

Sirius stepped closer, he was always the one stepping closer. “I want to. I… want it to feel like Christmas.”

“A real Suzy Homemaker aren’t you?” Remus tugged Sirius by the sharp hip flush against him, until he could feel the shorter man’s hot coco breath on his cheeks. 

Sirius scowled, a crease forming between his arched brows. “I only mean, this is the first time since… James and Lily that I have a family of sorts. To celebrate with.” 

It was true, their little hodgepodge of Weasleys and Harry and Hermione had started to feel like a real family, and Remus didn’t know what to say, so instead, he kissed Sirius softly. 

“You do not have to get anyone anything, Pads. I am already so lucky. It feels like Christmas every day that I have you back.”

Sirius rolled his eyes but grinned. “Softy.” 

“Yes, I suppose. But you could change that if you came back to bed, I am quite interested to hear Crookshank’s idea you know.”

Sirius guffawed. “Of corse you heard that bit. Come on then. Perhaps I’ll grab a gift bow from downstairs before we head up, though I doubt there are any big enough.” 

“That’ll hardly be necessary,” Remus said before giving Sirius one last lingering kiss. Both their lips were warm from the coco in the permanently drafty house and Remus felt the warmth go straight to his heart instead of its intended destination much further south. If he was honest with himself, just holding Sirius until he fell asleep was as good a gift as he could possibly ask for. The prospect of getting to do it for the rest of his life felt like he must have won some kind of cosmic lottery. 

“Oi, come on, before I put you on the naughty list!” Sirius squirmed out of Remus’s grasp and headed for the stairs. 

“Oh, what a shame that’d be.” Remus chuckled before following him out the door, sparing one last look at their fluffy friends. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm on tumblr/insta/discord at larvawaffle. Come say hello or leave a comment/kudos below :)


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